Title 49—Transportation--Volume 1
PART 41—SEISMIC SAFETY
§ 41.100   Purpose and applicability.
(a) This part implements the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 7701 et seq. and Executive Order (E.O.) 12699, “Seismic Safety of Federal and Federally-Assisted or Regulated New Building Construction” (3 CFR, 1990 Comp., p. 269). Under the Executive Order the DOT is given the responsibility for developing and implementing its own mission-appropriate and cost-effective regulations governing seismic safety.
(b) This part applies to new DOT owned buildings and to new DOT leased, assisted and regulated buildings. The purpose of this part is to reduce risk to lives of the building occupants, improve the capabilities of essential buildings to function during or after an earthquake, and to reduce earthquake losses of public buildings and investments.
(c) This part may be further implemented by the DOT Operating Administrations.
§ 41.105   Definitions.
As used in this part—
Operating Administration includes the Office of the Secretary.
DOT means the U.S. Department of Transportation.
§ 41.110   New DOT owned buildings and additions to buildings.
(a) DOT Operating Administrations responsible for the design and construction of new DOT Federally owned buildings will ensure that each building is designed and constructed in accord with the seismic design and construction standards set out in § 41.120 of this part.
(b) This section pertains to all building projects for which development of detailed plans and specifications was initiated after January 5, 1990. It applies to additions to existing buildings as well as to new buildings. It applies worldwide.
(c) For DOT Federally owned buildings, a certification of compliance with the seismic design and construction requirements of this part is required prior to the acceptance of the building. Such statements of compliance may include the engineer's and architect's authenticated verifications of seismic design codes, standards, and practices used in the design and construction of the building, construction observation reports, local or state building department plan review documents, or other documents deemed appropriate by the DOT Operating Administration.
§ 41.115   New buildings to be leased for DOT occupancy.
(a) DOT Operating Administrations responsible for the design and construction of new buildings to be leased for DOT occupancy or use will ensure that each building is designed and constructed in accord with the seismic design and construction standards set out in § 41.120 of this part.
(b) This section pertains to all new building projects for which the agreement covering development of detailed plans and specifications was executed after January 5, 1990.
(c) For new Federally leased buildings, a certification of compliance with the seismic design and construction requirements of this part is required prior to the acceptance of the building. Such statements of compliance may include the engineer's and architect's authenticated verifications of seismic design codes, standards, and practices used in the design and construction of the building, construction observation reports, local or state building department plan review documents, or other documents deemed appropriate by the DOT Operating Administration.
§ 41.117   Buildings built with Federal assistance.
(a) Each DOT Operating Administration assisting in the financing, through Federal grants or loans, or guaranteeing the financing, through loan or mortgage insurance programs, of newly constructed buildings will ensure that any building constructed with such assistance is constructed in accord with seismic standards set out in § 41.120 of this part.
(b) This section applies to new buildings and additions to existing buildings financed in whole or in part through Federal grants or loans administered by DOT Operating Administrations, or through guaranteed financing through loan or mortgage insurance programs administered by DOT Operating Administrations.
(c) Any building constructed with Federal financial assistance, after July 14, 1993 must be designed and constructed in accord with seismic standards approved by the DOT operating Administration under § 41.120 of this part in order to be eligible for Federal financial assistance.
(d) For buildings built with Federal financial assistance, a certification of compliance with the seismic design and construction requirements of this part is required prior to the furnishing of such assistance. Such statements of compliance may include the engineer's and architect's authenticated verifications of seismic design codes, standards, and practices used in the design and construction of the building, construction observation reports, local or state building department plan review documents, or other documents deemed appropriate by the DOT Operating Administration.
§ 41.119   DOT regulated buildings.
(a) Each DOT Operating Administration with responsibility for regulating the structural safety of buildings and additions to existing buildings will ensure that each DOT regulated building is designed and constructed in accord with seismic design and construction standards as provided by this part.
(b) This section pertains to all new building projects for which development of detailed plans and specifications begin after July 14, 1993.
(c) Any building for which a DOT Operating Administration responsible for regulating the structural safety must comply with the seismic design and construction standards in this part.
(d) For DOT regulated buildings a certification of compliance with the seismic design and construction requirements of this part is required prior to the acceptance of the building. Such statements of compliance may include the engineer's and architect's authenticated verification of seismic design codes, standards, and practices used in the design and construction of the building, construction observation reports, local or state building department plan review documents, or other documents deemed appropriate by the DOT Operating Administration.
§ 41.120   Acceptable model codes.
(a) This section describes the standards that must be used to meet the seismic design and construction requirements of this part.
(b)(1) The following are model codes which have been found to provide a level of seismic safety substantially equivalent to that provided by use of the 1988 National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Recommended Provisions (Copies are available from the Office of Earthquakes and Natural Hazards, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472.):
(i) The 1991 International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) Uniform Building Code, published by the International Conference of Building Officials, 5360 South Workman Mill Rd., Whittier, Cal. 90601;
(ii) The 1992 Supplement to the Building Officials and Code Administrators International (BOCA) National Building Code, published by the Building Officials and Code Administrators, 4051 West Flossmoor Rd., Country Club Hills, Ill. 60478-5795; and
(iii) The 1992 Amendments to the Southern Building Code Congress (SBCC) Standard Building Code, published by the Southern Building Code Congress International, 900 Montclair Rd., Birmingham, Ala. 35213-1206.
(2) Versions of the NEHRP seismic maps have been adopted along with the NEHRP Recommended Provisions into the BOCA National and SBCC Standard building codes. The seismic zone map in the ICBO Uniform Building Code is also based on one of the USGS maps of horizontal ground acceleration. However, the ICBO map should be used only with the ICBO code. Also, it is not appropriate to use the NEHRP maps with the ICBO Uniform Building Code, because the design requirements of building codes are keyed to the numerical values of the map they reference.
(c) Revisions to the model codes listed in paragraph (b) of this section that are substantially equivalent to or exceed the then current or immediately preceding edition of the NEHRP recommended provisions, as it is updated, may be approved by a DOT Operating Administration to meet the requirements in this part.
(d) State, county, local, or other jurisdictional building ordinances adopting and enforcing the model codes, listed in paragraph (b) of this section, in their entirety, without significant revisions or changes in the direction of less seismic safety, meet the requirements in this part. For ordinances that do not adopt the model codes listed in paragraph (b) of this section, substantial equivalency of the ordinances to the seismic safety level contained in the NEHRP recommended provisions must be determined by the DOT Operating Administration before the ordinances may be used to meet the requirements of this part.
(e) DOT Operating Administrations that, as of January 5, 1990, required seismic safety levels higher than those imposed by this part in new building construction programs will continue to maintain such levels in force.
(f) Emergencies. Nothing in this part applies to assistance provided for emergency work or for assistance essential to save lives and protect property and public health and safety performed pursuant to sections 402, 403, 502, and 503 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. 5170a, 5170b, 5192, and 5193, or for temporary housing assistance programs and individual and family grants performed pursuant to Sections 408 and 411 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5174 and 5178. However, this part applies to other provisions of the Stafford Act after a Presidentially declared major disaster or emergency when assistance actions involve new construction or total replacement of a building.
§ 41.125   Judicial review.
Nothing in this part is intended to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party against the DOT, its Operating Administrations, its officers, or any person.